Clifford algebra-based structure filtering analysis for geophysical vector fields

Abstract. A new Clifford algebra-based vector field filtering method, which combines amplitude similarity and direction difference synchronously, is proposed. Firstly, a modified correlation product is defined by combining the amplitude similarity and direction difference. Then, a structure filtering algorithm is constructed based on the modified correlation product. With custom template and thresholds applied to the modulus and directional fields independently, our approach can reveal not only the modulus similarities but also the classification of the angular distribution. Experiments on exploring the tempo-spatial evolution of the 2002–2003 El Niño from the global wind data field are used to test the algorithm. The results suggest that both the modulus similarity and directional information given by our approach can reveal the different stages and dominate factors of the process of the El Niño evolution. Additional information such as the directional stability of the El Niño can also be extracted. All the above suggest our method can provide a new powerful and applicable tool for geophysical vector field analysis.